A new Portillo’s restaurant opened in Normal, Ill. The 9,000-square-foot retail facility replaced the former Motel 6 located at 202 Landmark Drive and will cater to a predominantly residential area with a strong student community. The new business is expected to bring approximately 200 full- and part-time jobs to the area.

Novak Construction brought the project to completion, marking the sixth development delivered for the retailer.

A 1920s theme

The new restaurant is a precast structure with brick and steel elements designed for more than 200 seats. It will also feature a timber patio with a standing seam roof and double drive-through lanes. The construction project also included new site utilities, asphalt paving and other improvements.

The interior design is set to re-create the atmosphere of the 1920s Prohibition era. It will include photos of Chicago-based gangsters such as Al Capone and a vintage car suspended from the ceiling.

The restaurant is close to the retail corridors on East College Avenue and Veterans Parkway and is less than two miles from Eastland Mall. The next closest Portillo’s is located at 2306 N. Prospect Ave. in Champaign, Ill.